Dropped into this little item about BEYOND THE FRINGE, a digital tie-in comic for the popular TV show, is the news that Jhonen Vasquez, the incredibly popular creator of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, will be doing some digital comics for DC, along with Becky Cloonan. SWEET.

Vasquez’s JTHM is one of the best selling indie comics of all times, and his animated show Invader Zim remains a cult favorite. He’s been very under the radar in recent years, so some comics work from him is great news.

Digital comic BEYOND THE FRINGE, based on the critically-acclaimed FOX TV show, will add a new roster of creators for upcoming issues 5a and 6a. Joining the book is seasoned writer Jhonen Vasquez, best known for his work on Nickelodeon’s Emmy and Annie Award winning show Invader Zim, and comics JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC and STRANGE TALES. Vasquez will be joined by award-winning artist Becky Cloonan (AMERICAN VIRGIN, NORTHLANDERS and DEMO VOLS 1,2).
BEYOND THE FRINGE alternates every two weeks between “A” and “B” storylines. “A” storylines explore events tied directly to the “Fringe” show canon, while “B” storylines take a “what-if” approach and look at how things might change if certain elements are out of balance.

Fringe, an acclaimed procedural thriller airing Friday nights on FOX, follows the Fringe Team as they investigate unbelievable events and mysterious occurrences linked throughout the world in pursuit of a larger, more shocking truth. The series stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and Seth Gabel. Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, Fringe is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman and Joe Chappelle serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman, Orci and Akiva Goldsman are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners. Become a fan of the series on Facebook and follow the series on Twitter.

Heidi MacDonald is the founder and editor in chief of The Beat. In the past, she worked for Disney, DC Comics, Fox and Publishers Weekly. She can be heard regularly on the More To Come Podcast. She likes coffee, cats and noble struggle.

I was initially confused as to why DC would be doing an adaptation of BEYOND THE FRINGE, considering that Peter Cook and Dudley Moore aren’t really household names any more, but then I figured out that it was something much less interesting. Probably just as well.

If folks haven’t read it and are hating the Valentine’s Day, the DATE story in JTHM#2 is one of the greatest date stories in all of date story history.

Also, I’m just gonna brag here that I have first printings of every single JTHM (I’m pretty sure, anyway). w00t! w00t! Cataloguing my collection these days… blew my mind to see how many printings of #1 there has been. Woah.